January 16 2017: Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 1 (Blu-ray - carries first 25 episodes) January 30 2017: Eden of the East (Blu-ray Collector's Edition, includes art-cards, stickers, 40-page 'official log book.' This edition will include the original 11-part TV series and the two film sequels, Eden of the East: The King of Eden and Eden of the East: Paradise Lost, although this is not indicated on the website listing as of writing.) January 30 2017: Persona 3 the Movie #1 Spring of Birth, details to follow.
The Funimation releases of Absolute Duo and Mikagura School Suite will both be "Dual Format' releases, containing both Blu-ray and DVD editions of the titles.
Re No-Rin, Anime Limited says, 'This was set to be a Blu-ray+DVD combi set but at the request of the licensor, a change was needed whereby PAL DVDs would be included. After much discussion and deliberation internally on this it has been decided to make No-Rin a Blu-ray only release.'
Customers who have already ordered the combi set will be contacted early in the New Year regarding their order.

Anime Limited's DVD release of Nerima Daikon Brothers is now available. In the series, Hideki, leader of the Nerima Daikon Brothers, has a dream to build a dome in his hometown of Nerima to hold a concert for his band. Together with his cousin, Mako (whom he has a crush on), Ichiro, and Pandaikon (a panda he found in his yard that resembles a daikon), they strive to make money any way they can, and in the process, rid the world of evil-doers and steal their money in the process.

In the kingdom of Pars lies the Royal Capital of Ecbatana, a powerful city ruled by the fearsome King Andragoras. Arslan, the 14-year-old prince of Pars, is a green ruler and lacks the fierce leadership skills possessed by his father. After his father falls victim to a treacherous plot headed by one of his most trusted comrades, the kingdom of Pars falls in the war with the neighboring nation of Lusitania. Narrowly escaping with his life, Arslan must embark on a journey to reclaim the fallen kingdom and fulfill his destiny as ruler of Pars.

Thursday, 29 December 2016

Penguin have launched a new competition which gives fans a chance to have their artwork featured in a new Doctor Who Book.

Doctor Who: The Illustrated Adventures is due to be published by Puffin at the end of 2017. The publishers are looking for images to illustrate the 100 top favourite Doctor Who episodes, as listed in the book.

The images have to be submited using the Template on the Penguin website and the winners will be chosen by the Puffin design and illustration experts and members of the BBC’s Doctor Who brand team.

At least 25 winners will be chosen to appear in the book, but dependent on the number and quality of entries, as many as 100 images could be chosen. Winners who will be the entrants whose entries, in the opinion of the judges, depict (or capture) the chosen episode of Doctor Who most creatively and attractively. Each winner will receive two copies of the book.

Koji Wada Digimon Memorial Best features 19 songs that Wada performed for various Digimon anime. The songs include Digimon Adventure opening theme song "Butter-fly," Digimon Adventure 02 opening theme song "Target ~Akai Shougeki~," and Digimon Tamers opening theme song "The Biggest Dreamer." The CD also includes the collaborative singles "an Endless tale" and "Mirai e no Tobira ~Ano Natsu no Hi kara~." Digimon series character designer Kenji Watanabe created an illustration for the "-sketch1-" version of the album, and Digimon Adventure tri. character designer Atsuya Uki created an illustration for the "-sketch2-" version. Both versions contain the same songs, and they will ship for 3,129 yen (about US$27) each on January 25.
"Butter-fly" was Wada's major debut, and a new version of the song featured as the opening theme for the first Digimon Adventure tri. film. The fourth film in the six-part anime film series, Digimon Adventure tri. Sōshitsu (Loss), will open in Japan on February 25. Select theaters in Japan will screen the film for three weeks, and it will debut for paid advance streaming on the same day. Theaters will also sell a limited-edition version of the film's Blu-ray Disc. The official website for the fourth film unveiled a visual in October:

Tuesday, 27 December 2016

The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

Press reaction to this year's Christmas Special, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, is overwealmingly positive with most reviewers enjoying the first new Doctor Who to hit screens this year.

"The happiest, most heroic Christmas special in years" is is how The Telegraph describes the episode with much praise going to the lead actors. "Capaldi was charismatically mercurial, switching between silliness and sadness. Nardole, who could have been a mere stop-gap until new companion Bill arrives next year, worked well as an affable comic stooge – with the added ability to put his finger on the painful truth of the Doctor’s loneliness and grief"

Praise for the actors was also abundant in Radio Times who called the episode "a beautifully packaged hour of uplifting escapism". "The scenes between the Doctor and eight-year-old Grant (Logan Hoffman) are delightful, allowing Capaldi to work some grandfatherly charm and tottering eccentricity. Canadian actor Justin Chatwin looks great as both the lackadaisical nanny and rippling Ghost, while Britain’s Charity Wakefield is lovely as his Lois-Lane-alike".

A charming and funny festive special is how Digital Spy heralds the story, with much praise for the script by showrunner Steven Moffat. "It's one of the most richly comic episodes in recent memory, employing witty wordplay, great sight gags and even a joke about Pokémon Go."

The script also wins plaudits from the Los Angeles Times. "The episode plays very much to Moffat’s strengths. He has a talent for fast-paced farce, with characters going in and out of doors and portals in space and time —the episode’s central engine, the difficulties of managing a secret identity, is a classic situation-comedy situation — and for crafting banter of both the light and glancing kind and of the kind that intimates deeper feelings below."

The Guardian appreciated the move away from the traditional, overly Christmas type of episode. "There are only scant, functional references to Christmas in The Return of Doctor Mysterio. Rather, it channels the classic 3.10pm movie of yore – specifically, the Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve Superman films. And for that, it ranks in my personal top five of Christmas Doctor Whos."

GamesRadar feels the episode sets the right tone from the start. "The pre-titles sequence is a charmer, establishing the wry, buoyant tone. Logan Hoffman’s winning as the young, comic-crazed Grant Gordon while the Doctor’s sniffy take on superheroes is good value, particularly the sly line where he wonders if Spider-Man’s radiation-imbued superpowers are “vomiting, hair loss, death”. That’s dark for Christmas."

Cartermatt enjoyed the comedy in the story. "Everything that we saw between The Ghost and Lucy was ridiculous, but also incredibly funny. The exchange where he was going to reveal his secret identity to her while she realized how amazing Grant was to her was amazing, especially when he chickened out of making the move when he realized that she admired Grant’s “honesty.”"

IGN is less enthusiastic about the story calling it an OK return for the Doctor. "Its most effective moments land with the few brief times when it connects to that tale or the Doctor’s past, with the rest of the superhero-themed segment feeling slightly detached and less relevant"

AV Club is also less impressed "On balance, The Return Of Doctor Mysterio is just about fine. It’s probably a lesser episode than The Husbands Of River Song, but it also has a better sense of its overall purpose than that episode did, which careened from cartoonish to tragic with minimal warning."

Nerdist appreciated the central theme of the episode. "The Return of Doctor Mysterio is exactly the kind of adventure story we need for a Christmas Day. It tells us we don’t need superpowers or a mask and cape to be heroic, and that the bravest thing you can do is speak your mind and stand up to the bullies of this world. That’s what Doctor Who is, and I for one have badly needed it."

Finally, Den of Geek was impressed by the directing. "Visually, director Ed Bazalgette is immediately on board with the style of the piece. His comic book-into-real-life opening was quite lovely, but also there’s the segment where he splits the screen. This is an old Hitchcock trick, of course, but when the Doctor starts to edge over the line of his split, then the comics aesthetic clearly came to mind too."

The Christmas Special, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, had an estimated audience of 5.68 million viewers on BBC One, a share of 27.1% of the total TV audience, according to unofficial overnigfht figures.

Top of the tree this year was the Christmas edition of Strictly Come Dancing which had 7.17 million viewers, followed by The Great Christmas Bake Off with 6.23 million. Later in the evening Mrs Brown's Christmas Boys, which has topped the ratings in recent years, scored 6.13 million. The drama Call the Midwife had 6.06 million while soap EastEnders had 5.9 million.

ITV's highest rated programme was Coronation Street with 6.12 million. The Queen's Christmas Message had 5.19 million watching on BBC One and 2.95 million on ITV.

The overnight figures are an initial estimate. Final figures, including those who record the programme and watch within a week, will be released early next week.

Monday, 26 December 2016

Toei and TV Asahiopened a website on Monday to reveal the 41st Super Sentai series, Uchū Sentai Kyūranger. The new series will premiere on February 12 at 7:30 a.m. The series has a theme of "space" (uchū) and "constellations," and for the first time will feature a nine-member hero squad. (The word "kyū" in Japanese means nine, and the show's title harkens back to the first entry in the Super Sentai series, Himitsu Sentai Goranger. "Go" means five in Japanese.)

The story features an evil organization called "Jark Matter" who rule the universe in the far distant future. The nine "Kyūtama" transformation items that harness the power of the constellations choose nine heroes to become the Kyūrangers and save the universe. Each member is an alien from a different constellation, and include not only human-type aliens but also android-type and werewolf-type aliens.
The cast for the human-type Kyūrangers includes (from left to right):

The characters for the non-human-type Kyūrangers includes (from left to right):

Eagle Pink (Aquila) / Laupta 283, a pilot android

Scales Gold (Libra) / Balance, a mysterious mechanical lifeform

Wolf Blue (Lupus) / Garu, a half-beast werewolf

Ox Black (Taurus) / Champ, a robot wrestling champion

Manga artist Masato Hisa (Area 51, Nobunagun) designed concept art for the transformation suits in the series. Takayuki Shibazaki (Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger), Teruaki Sugihara, and others are directing the series, and Nobuhiro Mōri (Shuriken Sentai Ninninger) is writing the scripts. The show's opening theme song is "Lucky Star" and the ending theme song is "Kyūtama Danching!," although the official website hasn't revealed the artists for either theme song.
The 40th Super Sentaiseries, Dōbutsu Sentai Zyuohger, premiered on February 14. Power Rangers Ninja Steel, the 24th season of the Power Rangers franchise, adapts Toei's 39th Super Sentaiseries, the ninja-themed Shuriken Sentai Ninninger. Power Rangers Ninja Steel premieres in January.

TV Asahi variety producer Keisuke HiguchiTweeted on Saturday about an upcoming television special that will pit 200 Japanese voice actors against each other in an ultimate popularity contest. The "Ninki Seiyū 200-nin ga Honki de Eranda! Seiyū Sōsenkyo! 3-jikan SP" (200 Popular Voice Actors Seriously Selected! Voice Actor General Election! 3-Hour Special) television special will air on TV Asahi on January 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Details are scarce about the special, and it's unclear whether voting is taking place beforehand or during the course of the program. Higuchi's Tweet reveals he apparently had a hectic schedule during filming for the special. However, the producer did not divulge which voice actors are participating in the show.
Performers for the special include the comedy duo Bakushō Mondai and singer and entertainer Eiji Wentz (live-action Kitaro's Kitaro, Nodame Cantabile in Europe's Franck Latoine). Actor and singer Kanji Ishimaru will act as presenter, and TV Asahi's Megumi Aoyama and Ayaka Hironaka will serve as announcers. Kazuya Kojima of the comic duo Unjash, entertainer Chiaki, and Nogizaka46 idol group members Rina Ikoma and Sayuri Matsumara will appear as studio guests.
Many television specials with voice actors and anime re-airings will also fill Japan's airwaves around New Year's.
Which Japanese voice actors do you think are the most popular? Who do you think will come out on top in this popularity contest? Tell us in the forum!

The British film reviewer Mark Kermode has included Mark Kermode's your name. in his list of the Top Ten films of 2016 (at number 9).

In the video, Kermode argues that it does Shinkai no favours to describe him as a new Miyazaki, "since his work is so completely different." He describes your name. itself as "really intelligent and thought-provoking, but the animation is sweeping and wonderful." (Kermode's full review of the film is here.)
Last year, Kermode choseIsao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya as one of the Top Ten films of 2015.

We're happy to announce we'll be releasing God Eater next year on both DVD & Blu-ray! But far too early to clarify price/date etc.

The series is set in 2017, when the Far East is ruled by angry gods. 20 years ago unknown life forms called “Oracle cells” begin their uncontrolled consumption of all life on Earth. Humanity both fears them and reveres them as "aragami." They are immune to all weapons and the mankind's numbers continue to dwindle. The last bastion of hope is the newly developed "God Arcs" weapons that utilize Oracle cells to fight back. The weapons wielders band together into an elite force dubbed "God Eaters

The Christmas Special, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, had an estimated audience of 5.68 million viewers on BBC One, a share of 27.1% of the total TV audience, according to unofficial overnigfht figures.

Today sees the premiere of the Doctor's only adventure for 2016, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, which takes its now traditional spot in the BBC One Christmas Day television line-up. There's still time to enter our competition to predict the ratings of this festive episode - details below!

At the time of writing, there's six hours to go before Doctor Who is broadcast in the United Kingdom, but in the meantime the BBC have released a wealth of videos to promote the episode:

Fantom Publishing have released details on the next two releases in their Who Talk range of alternative audio commmentaries.

First up is the original television adventure, An Unearthly Child. Producer Paul W T Ballard explains:

"One of the first thoughts we had after the success of Web and Enemy, was to revisit the first Doctor Who story and complete the commentary for it. The original DVD release of An Unearthly Child covered only two out of four of the episodes, plus the pilot, whereas we have been able to introduce some new voices to the mix and complete all four instalments plus the pilot.

Whilst we have an ongoing mission to cover episodes without any commentary at all, we are also having fun bringing new contributors to the fold to provide alternatives on some classic serials. I think Cyber60s is a fitting celebration of fifty years of one of Doctor Who's most popular monsters.

The company are also offering a special edition bundle featuring both commentaries: each set will be signed by an actor from each release as well as a both disc featuring additional commentaries on The Tenth Planet and The Moonbase. These CDs are very limited, and exclusively available via the Who Talk website.

Who Talk will return in 2017 with a full of schedule of alternative DVD Commentaries.

Friday, 23 December 2016

There will be a talk/performance related to anime songs on Wednesday January 18 from 6.45 p.m. (ending at 8.15). The venue is London's Foyles Bookshop (Level 6) on Charing Cross Road, between Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road tube station. Places are free but must be booked at this link.
Entitled "Anisong - The Musical World of Anime," the talk is presented by The Japan Foundation. From the event website:

From the onset of anime in Japan, the accompanying music has always been fine-tuned to the content of the anime as well as its audience. While the music style of each song varies and differs depending on the period, the songs used and created for anime are often passionate, melodic and almost always undeniably infectious. Recently the songs have evolved from mere accompaniments or frills to the anime to become more independent and acknowledged in their own right as a genre known as anisong (“Anime songs”). Responding to this musical phenomenon, The Japan Foundation present a special event delving deep into the topic of anime music, which is today considered one of the main driving forces in the Japanese music industry. Featuring a talk by Dr Rayna Denison, lecturer at the University of East Anglia, the event will trace anime music's brief historical journey while examining the impact it has had upon the anime industry and its viewers.
Following on from the talk, there will be a special performance by Aya Ikeda, the songstress behind the themes of the very famous anime series Pretty Cure (aka Precure) a “magical girl” anime, as well as the opportunity to sing along too.

The grand finale of Year Two! The impossible has occurred, and an ancient foe, long since defeated, has returned again to plague the Doctor, the universe, and to threaten all of reality! Has Anubis fallen to the ways of his father, Sutekh... or has Sutekh found a way to transcend death? Whoever survives will head into Year Three forever changed!

Thursday, 22 December 2016

Boom! Studios revealed on Monday that is publishing Saban's Power Rangers: Aftershock, a graphic novel sequel to the upcoming Power Rangersfilm, on March 29, five days after the movie's launch. Ryan Parrott (Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Batman: Gates of Gotham) is writing the story, and Lucas Werneck (Rampage Jackson: Street Soldier) is illustrating.

The graphic novel will be a 96-page, full-color softcover book. It will retail for US$14.99. There will be two covers: an illustrated cover by Greg Smallwood (pictured above) that will only be available at comic book shops and a movie version cover (pictured below) that will be available at bookstores.

Lionsgate describes the new Power Rangers film:

Saban's Power Rangers follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.

The film is planned for a March 24, 2017 release in the United States. The movie will open in Japanese theaters on July 15, 2017.
The main cast includes:

Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger Jason

Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger Kimberly

Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger Zack

R.J. Cyler as the Blue Ranger Billy

Becky Gomez as the Yellow Ranger Trini

The film's staff revealed an earlier set of character posters in September that offered a glimpse of the Zords featured in the movie.

In addition to the main cast, Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranstonplays Zordon, Elizabeth Banks plays Rita Repulsa, and David Denman plays Sam Scott (the father of the Red Ranger).

Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) is on board to direct the film. John Gatins (Kong: Skull Island, Real Steel), Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (Dracula Untold), Max Landis (Chronicle), and Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor) are scriptwriters for the film. Brian Tyler (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Dragonball: Evolution) is composing the film's score. Kelli Jones (Straight Outta Compton, Sons of Anarchy) is serving as costume designer, Hamish Purdy (The Revenant) is in charge of set design, and Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings) is handling suit design and visual effects. Paul Jennings is the stunt coordinator, Andrew Menzies is the production designer, and Matt Lloyd is director of photography.
Allison Shearmur and Brent O'Connor are serving as executive producers. Haim Saban, Brian Casentini (Power Rangers TV series), Wyck Godfrey, and Marty Bowen are producing the film.
Boom! Studios and Saban Brands are also publishing a new Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic, a spinoff comic focusing on the Pink Ranger, and a six-issue mini crossover comic combining Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Justice League.

According to Anime Limited, 'We do not anticipate (your name.) to be available before October 2017 and it could even be potentially later than that.' (The film is currently listed for pre-order on Amazon UK for October 2017, but Anime Limited stresses this is placeholder date.)

The film will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and as a Blu-ray/DVD edition. All editions will contain both the English-dubbed and subtitled versions of the film.
Regarding an Ultimate Edition, Anime Limited says, 'we would absolutely love to do (an Ultimate Edition), but we have to wait and see what materials will be available to us... If we can release an Ultimate Edition, we will."
Extra content and packaging TBC.

Big Finish have announced that the Fourth Doctor Adventures will continue into 2018 with a new series featuring the Doctor (Tom Baker), Leela (Louise Jameson) and K9 (John Leeson).

This time around the series will be released as two boxed sets of four episodes each. January 2018 will see the release of Series 7A, consisting of Episode One by Andrew Smith, The Crowmarsh Experiement by David Llewellyn, and The Mind-Runners / The Demon Rises by John Dorney; May sees the release of Series 7B, with The Shadow of London by Justin Richards, Episode Six by Dan Starkey, and Kill The Doctor! / Episode Eight by Guy Adams.

For digital listeners, as well as the two boxed sets it will also be possible to buy the episodes individually. Pre-orders can be purchased at a discount to the final release price. For full details see the Big Finish website.

Meanwhile, Season 6 kicks off in January, which as well as K9 will feature the Doctor's Time Lord side-kick Romana (as portrayed by Lalla Ward):

A stunning new star act is wowing the audiences of the New Regency Theatre. The modern mechanical marvel of canny canine charisma - the automated dog that can answer any question - the incomparable - the unbeatable - K9!

The Doctor and Romana have returned to Victorian London and been reunited with their old friends Professor George Litefoot and Henry Gordon Jago. However this is not merely a social visit. A terrifying crime spree is sweeping the capital, and the burglaries of 'The Knave' defy all logic.

Something impossibly dangerous is taking place amid the fog. Only the time travellers and their friends can stop it... but can they be sure they're all on the same side?

6.02 The Eternal BattleWritten by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright, directed by Nicholas BriggsReleased February 2017

The TARDIS has landed in a war zone. The Doctor, Romana and K9 find themselves traipsing through an inhospitable battlefield. Strange lights flicker in the sky, and stranger creatures lurk in the darkness.

When rescued from an attack by a Sontaran tank, the time-travellers discover they’re facing a far more dangerous foe than the battle-hungry clones. This terrifying fight has been going on longer than anyone can remember… and shows no signs of stopping.

With the TARDIS missing and their luck running thin, the Doctor and his friends’ only hope of survival is to uncover the truth about what is happening on this planet. If they can discover the secret of the eternal battle they might just survive... but it might just mean the end of them all.

6.03 The Silent ScreamWritten by James Goss, directed by Nicholas BriggsReleased March 2017

On the set of a busy Hollywood movie in the late 1920s, a damsel is in distress! As cameras roll, she opens her mouth to scream and... nothing comes out. Nothing at all. It's happened again.

The Doctor, Romana and K9 have arrived in a terrified Tinseltown. A new film is being made and several stars of the silent screen are viewing it as a potential comeback... but it may prove a poisoned chalice. Actors are vanishing and strange creatures stalk the streets.

Something evil is lurking behind the scenery. Can the Doctor stop it when he doesn't have a voice?

In the control room of a World War 2 submarine something strange has started to happen. As the ship runs out of control, its crew begin to fall unconscious...

Finding the submarine in the last place they'd have expected, the Doctor and Romana are confronted by a mystery. Once fully populated, there are now only three men on board. And there's now also a chimpanzee.

What has happened to the rest of the crew? What are the strange noises they can hear outside the hull?

6.05 The Haunting of Malkin PlaceWritten by Phil Mulryne, directed by Nicholas BriggsReleased May 2017

The Doctor and Romana meet the spiritualist Talbot, who has been called to investigate ghostly apparitions in a 1920's mansion.

BBC Worldwide have released details on the forthcoming Blu-ray/DVD release of this year's Christmas Special, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, in the United Kingdom:

This Christmas sees Peter Capaldi return as The Doctor, alongside Matt Lucas who returns as Nardole with a stellar cast including Charity Wakefield, and Justin Chatwin. Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio, will be on DVD and Blu-ray from 23rd January 2017.

In this epic Christmas Special, The Doctor joins forces with a masked Superhero for a fantastic New York adventure.

With brain-swapping aliens poised to attack, the Doctor and Nardole link up with an investigative reporter and a mysterious figure known only as The Ghost.

The 60 minute Doctor Who Christmas Special is written by Steven Moffat, Executive Produced by Brian Minchin, Produced by Peter Bennett and Directed by Ed Bazalgette (Poldark).

Bonus material for the DVD & Blu-ray includes two features:

The Doctor: A New Kind of Hero The Doctor has no superpowers, but he can stand proudly alongside the greatest superheroes ever known. In this special program, we’ll ask what it is about the Doctor that makes him so heroic.

Doctor Who Extra: The Return of Doctor Mysterio Join stars Peter Capaldi and Matt Lucas, showrunner Steven Moffat, and many more for this very special inside look at the making of The Return of Doctor Mysterio.

The Return of Doctor Mysterio is available to pre-order on DVD or Blu-ray from our Amazon Shop, and there is still time to win a copy in our Predict The Ratings competition!

There have been a few recent developments on the German market that are of interest.

Pandastorm Pictures are going to release the TV Movie on DVD and Blu-Ray early 2017. There will be three different editions. First of all on 17th February there will be a limited "Collecter's Edition Mediabook", which will contain two DVD's and one Blu-Ray. The regular editions of the DVD (2 discs) and Blu-Ray (one disc) will be released on 31st March 2017 and feature a different cover. All three editions will contain the German and English language soundtracks, as well as all bonus features of the UK releases. Also included will be exclusive material for the German market. Details to follow.

German books publisher Cross Cult are going to release the novelisation of The Pirate Planet ("Der Piratenplanet") by James Goss on 27th February 2017. This will be Cross Cult's last confirmed Doctor Who novel. One of Germany's biggest publishers, Bastei Lübbe, will take up the reign and release the novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks ("Die Hand des Omega") on 21st July 2017. It will also be available in the audio book format.

Adding to their German editions of the popular Titan Doctor Who comic books, Panini Comics Germany just released the first volume of the IDW story Prisoners of Time ("Gefangene der Zeit"). There was also a limited to 200 copies variant cover, drawn by popular 80's/90's comic book artist John Ridgway, only available on the German Doctor Who convention TimeLash II last October. Volume 2 will be released on 28th February 2017.

Germany's only Doctor Who convention TimeLash will take place for a third time on 28th to 29th October 2017 in Kassel. Guests announced so far are Daphne Ashbrook (Grace Holloway) , Philip Hinchliffe (70's producer and writer)and Annette Badland (Margaret Slitheen). More guest announcements to follow on the official TimeLash Facebook page in the coming weeks. Tickets will be available in early January on the TimeLash Homepage.

Warlord Games have announced that the next release in their range of miniature figures will be based upon characters from this year's Christmas special, The Return Of Doctor Mysterio:

The first new episode in twelve months sees The Doctor and the previously decapitated Nardole (Matt Lucas taking on the companion role, now thankfully with his head reattached) arrive in present day New York. They team up with reporter Lucy Fletcher and the mysterious superhero The Ghost to fight aliens with a fondness for brain-swapping.

Doctor Who Magazine 507 features new companion Nardole who returns in this year’s Christmas Special and for the 2017 series.

Matt Lucas chats to DWM in a rare and exclusive interview

Some people say, ‘I quite liked Nardole, but why does he need to come back?’ Well, there is an answer. I can’t tell you why he needs to come back, but I can tell you that he does need to come back. There’s a job that needs to be done, and it’s not a job that the Doctor can do on his own. Nardole is there to help him. It’ll all become clear.

You can read the full interview inside the new magazine...

ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

THE RETURN OF DOCTOR MYSTERIO

DWM previews the amazing new Christmas Special!

MEET THE GHOST

A chat with the man behind the mask – Justin Chatwin, who plays The Ghost in the Christmas episode!

ASK STEVEN

Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers' questions.

THE POWER OF THE DOCTOR

DWM takes an in-depth look at the Doctor’s superhero credentials.

REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2016

Despite the lack of series on TV, 2016 has still been a year to remember in the world of Doctor Who...

THE FEAST OF STEVEN

Why the Doctor took a week off from fighting Daleks in 1965 to engage in some slapstick comedy…

PINBALL WIZARDS!

24 years after it launched, the Doctor Who pinball table has returned in digital form.

BE FORGOT

A brand-new comic strip adventure, written by Mark Wright and illustrated by Mike Collins.

PLUS! All the latest official news, Christmas competitions, and The Watcher’s Christmas Quiz.

Doctor Who Magazine 507 is on sale now, price £5.99, with a GIGANTIC FREE POSTER! The Doctor Who Magazine Yearbook 2017 is a 100-page special edition, packed with all-new content.

There are exclusive interviews with the cast of the recent spin-off Class and the crew of the 2017 series of Doctor Who. The director and costume designer of Friend from the Future describe the making of the mini-episode, and there is an extensive section of tributes to Doctor Who luminaries who passed away during 2016.

Elsewhere there are round-ups up the year’s Doctor Who-related books, records and Big Finish releases, along with a report from November’s launch event for the new Power of the Daleks animation.

Editor Marcus Hearn says:

Even though there wasn’t a new television series in 2016, Doctor Who never stands still. This is our review of the year, and there’s been so much activity – from the BBC, its licensees and the fan community – that we’ve had a job squeezing it all in!

Doctor Who Magazine Special: The 2017 Yearbook is on sale now, price £5.99.

The official website for the Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga (Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Fujō Ō-hen) sequel anime began streaming two commercials on Sunday. The preview UVERworld's opening theme song "Itteki no Eikyō" (Drop's Influence) and Rin Akatsuki's ending theme song "Kono Te de" (With This Hand). The website also began streaming a second promotional video on Sunday. (Note: All three videos on the official website are region-locked to Japan.)

Assiah, the realm of humans, and Gehenna, the realm of demons. Normally, these two dimensions would never intersect, but having possessed all material substances, the demons are now intruding on the material world. But among the human race, there are those who can exorcise such demons—the exorcists. Rin Okumura kept the fact that he was Satan's offspring a secret from everyone and decided to become an exorcist. He began his training at True Cross Academy but following the incidents involving Amaimon's raid, his lineage became apparent. Fearing his true nature and the blue flames marking his connection to Gehenna, Rin's classmates all distanced themselves from him. Meanwhile, the academy was on high alert when they realized that the “Left Eye of the Impure King” had been stolen! What lies ahead for Rin and his classmates?

The anime will premiere on January 6 and will air on MBS's "Animeism" programming block. The official website revealed that the anime is getting six DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases, but it has yet to reveal the show's episode count. Aniplex of Americalicensed the series for its winter lineup.